Archived: HealthNet Homecare

Updated 31 October 2019

HealthNet Homecare services included healthcare professionals visiting patients at home to provide support and training or regular home visits to administer the medicines until the patient is confident to administer themselves. In all cases the clinical responsibility for the patient remains with the clinical referring centre or prescriber.

HealthNet Homecare provided national patient support, dispensing, nursing support and controlled delivery services on behalf of the NHS, pharmaceutical companies and the private sector. Most services were provided for NHS patients with 80% of the clinical homecare services cost funded by the pharmaceutical company that manufactures the medicines.The remainder of the services are commissioned directly by the NHS or provided to private patients.

The service provided advice in relation to treatment administration, for example, sub-cutaneous injections (under the skin), nursing advice in relation to the administration of treatment, storage of product, disposal of clinical waste and undertaking validated assessments such as patient activation measure which describes the knowledge, skills and confidence a person has in managing their own health and care.

HealthNet Homecare is operated by HealthNet Homecare (UK) Limited. The service opened in 2018. It is based in Pontefract, West Yorkshire. The service has had a registered manager in post since 2018. We inspected the service on 16 August 2019.

Updated 31 October 2019

HealthNet Homecare is operated by HealthNet Homecare (UK) Limited.

The service has a team of nurses which provides clinical homecare services to patients in community settings who have chosen to be treated at home rather than in hospital or as outpatients. This is in line with the NHS five-year-forward view that anticipates the further extension of clinical homecare services.

The service provides specialist medicines which patients administer themselves at home with appropriate support and training.Specific services regulated were the provision of nurses to administer medications, the provision of nurses to initially administer medications until the patient is confident to undertake self-administration and guidance for patients who want to administer themselves.

Although registered in July 2018, the first HealthNet home nurse visit took place in March 2019.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out an unannounced inspection on 16 August 2019.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we ask the same five questions of all services: are they safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs, and well-led? Where we have a legal duty to do so we rate services’ performance against each key question as outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate.

Throughout the inspection, we took account of what people told us and how the provider understood and complied with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

The service provided was community health service for adults.

We rated this service as Good overall because:

• The service had a training policy in place and provided mandatory training in key skills to all staff and made sure everyone completed it.

• Staff completed and updated risk assessments for each patient through individual referral forms.

• Each external provider had a signed project agreement in place, detailing the service specific requirements including associated key performance indicators.

• We saw records were clear, up to date and easily available to authorised staff. Staff recorded information in a clear and accurate way as well as consent.

• The service complied with National Midwifery Council (NMC) regulations and followed national guidelines developed by the National institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

• All staff had the right qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience to do their job at the time of appointment, when they took on new responsibilities and on a continuous basis.

• HealthNet Homecare completed competency assessments for the administration of all medicines prescribed.

• Policies and procedures were up to-date, and available to staff.

• We saw the team worked well together and observed positive communication between the chairman of the company, clinical managers, nurse manager, superintendent pharmacist, nurses, support and administrative staff.

• The service had effective links, including individual patient reviews, with homecare teams within NHS trusts and was able to discuss patient needs before and at the time of referral.

• Out of hours appointments were arranged when convenient to the patient and in different settings if safe and more convenient to the patient.

• The service had investigated complaints and learning had been identified and shared with the nursing team and external providers of service.

• Managers were approachable, supportive and effective and had the skills and knowledge to ensure patients received a quality service and we observed the registered manager promoted a positive culture that supported and valued staff.

• The service had developed a vision designed to help the NHS drive improved patient outcomes and independence for patients and their families.

• The service used technology to streamline services and had developed a portal system for patients and NHS clinicians to improve the quality and effectiveness of the service.

• All patients said they were extremely satisfied or satisfied with the homecare service received.

• The service had initiated an employee council with the aim of allowing employees to discuss with board members their views on the business and working conditions.

Sarah Dronsfield

Head of Hospitals Inspection North Region, on behalf of the Chief Inspector of Hospitals

Professor Ted Baker

Chief Inspector of Hospitals

Updated 31 October 2019

The service had received 165 patient referrals and had undertaken approximately 400 home visits since the  service began in March 2019. The majority of referrals (92%) were for patients who needed training in the administration of asthma medicines